China is being offered an array of Russian and Israeli air-to-air and air-to-ground weaponry to support competing bids to supply the radar for the Chengdu F-10 fighter now in development, and the planned follow-on purchase of Sukhoi Su-27MK Flankers.

Phazotron is proposing the Zhemchoug multi-mode radar, which has been under development since 1995, and is thought to have been partially supported with Chinese funding. The 180kg radar is being flight tested in Russia and is claimed to boast a four-target-engagement and ten-target track-while-scan capability.

The combined air/liquid-cooled radar has a mechanically steered antenna and a range of up to 320km (175nm). Also being offered for the F-10 contract is the Elta El/M-2035, originally developed for the now-defunct Israel Aircraft Industries Lavi fighter. The Lavi forms the design basis for the new Chinese fighter.

Russia's radar offering is accompanied by a weapons system, which is understood to include the active radar-guided Vympel R-77 (A-12 Adder) beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missile (AAM) and Kh-31A (AS-17 Krypton) air-to-surface missile.

The radar is also compatible with the semi-active R-27R/T (AA-10 Alamo) and short-range R-73 (AA-11 Archer). These AAMs have already been supplied to the Chinese as part of its two earlier Su-27SK purchases.

As a sweetener for its offer, Israel is believed to be offering the Rafael short-range Python-4 and active-radar-guided Derby AAMs. Development of the Derby is understood to have been supported by South Africa under the guise of its R-Darter BVR programme, for which funding is now under threat (Flight International, 8-14 October).

Phazotron says that it is also facing competition from the El/M-2035 for China's choice of radar for its next planned purchase of the Su-27MK multi-role fighter. The Russian company is proposing the improved Zhuk-27 radar, which is compatible with the R-77 and has a multi-target-engagement capability. It is also offering the same system for retrofit to China's existing Su-27s, now fitted with the earlier single-target-engagement N-001 air-intercept radar.

Phazotron says that flight testing of China's Zhuk-8-equipped Shenyang F-8IIM is due to be completed by the end of the year, at which point it will begin negotiations to supply ten radars for pre-production testing and evaluation. China has modified a single F-8 with the Zhuk-8, which features a smaller, 680mm-diameter, antenna, giving a 140km range.

Source: Flight International